HRM 300 final

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes for Organizational Behavior.

Organizational Behavior (OB)

The systematic study and application of knowledge about how individuals and groups act within organizations where they work.

Organization

A structured group of people working together to achieve common goals.

Human Assets

Employees and their skills, knowledge, and experience.

Physical Assets

Tangible resources like buildings, equipment, and materials.

Financial Assets

Monetary resources used to fund operations.

Intellectual Assets

Knowledge, patents, branding, and proprietary technology.

Hypothesis

A written prediction specifying expected relationships between variables.

Variable

An entity that can take on different values (e.g., job satisfaction, productivity).

Independent Variable (IV)

The factor that is manipulated or changes naturally to influence another variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The outcome being measured, which is affected by the IV.

Case Studies

In-depth descriptions of a single industry or company.

Field Studies

Research conducted in actual organizations.

Laboratory Studies

Controlled experiments with manipulation and control groups.

Machine Learning

Uses algorithms to analyze large datasets and predict behaviors.

Meta-Analysis

Combines results from multiple studies to find overall trends.

Surveys

Questionnaires used to collect data on workplace behaviors and attitudes.

Learning

A relatively permanent change in knowledge or skill produced by experience.

Retention

The ability to recall or recognize what has been learned over time.

Memory

The ability to recall information.

Chunking

The process of taking single pieces of information and grouping them into larger units.

Overlearning

Continued studying and practice after initial proficiency has been achieved.

Visual learner

One who processes information by looking at words and diagrams.

Auditory learners

One who processes information by listening or talking.

Kinesthetic (tactile) learners

One who processes information by actively engaging with the material.

Experimental design

A study having a group that receives a treatment and a comparison group that receives no treatment.

Control group

A group that does not receive any experimental manipulation so it can be compared to a treatment group.

Treatment group

A group that receives experimental manipulation.

Lab study

Research conducted under controlled conditions and may include observation, interviews, surveys, or experiments.

Reliability

The consistency of measurement.

Validity

The degree to which a measure captures what it intends to measure.

Correlations

Measures the strength of the relationship between two variables.

Causation

The act of making something happen.

Datum

The term that refers to a single observation.

Data

The term used to describe multiple observations and is always plural.

Big data

The volume, variety, velocity, and veracity, or validity of data.

Descriptive analytics

Approaches focused on understanding what has already happened.

Predictive analytics

What is likely to happen based on what we already know.

Prescriptive analytics

A focus on what should be done in the future based on what we know.

Employee engagement

The degree to which employees are fully involved in and enthusiastic about their work.

Sustainable business practices

Practices that meet the current needs of businesses without compromising the needs of future generations.

Gig economy

The prevalence of temporary employment positions where individuals are independent contractors rather than employees of organizations.

Outsourcing

An organization asking an outside organization to perform functions that could have been performed by itself.

Offshoring

Refers to some or all of a business process being moved from one country to another country.

Diversity

The ways in which people are similar or different from each other.

Inclusion

The degree to which individuals can bring aspects of themselves that make them unique while also being treated as insiders.

Similarity-attraction phenomenon

The tendency to be more attracted to people who are similar to us.

Surface-Level Diversity

Differences that are visible, such as race, gender, and age.

Deep-Level Diversity

Differences in values, beliefs, and attitudes.

Stereotypes

Generalizations about a group that can lead to bias in hiring and promotions.

Unconscious Bias

Implicit assumptions that influence decisions outside of awareness.

Glass Ceiling

Invisible barriers preventing women and minorities from reaching senior positions.

Glass Cliff

Women and minorities are often promoted to leadership positions in struggling firms, increasing their risk of failure.

Pay Gap

Women earn 85% of what men earn, often due to negotiation differences, stereotypes, and bias.

Idiosyncratic Deals (I-Deals)

Custom work arrangements that benefit both the employee and organization.

Affirmative Action Programs

Policies designed to recruit, train, and promote underrepresented groups.

Expatriate

Someone temporarily assigned to work in another country.

Global Mindset

The ability to adapt and communicate across cultures.

Ethnocentrism

Belief that one’s own culture is superior.

Individualistic cultures

Cultures that value independence and self-reliance.

Collectivistic cultures

Cultures that value group harmony and loyalty.

Power Distance

Accept hierarchy and inequality.

Uncertainty Avoidance

Prefer structured environments.

Masculine cultures

Value competition and success.

Feminine cultures

Value relationships and quality of life.

Long-Term Orientation

Focus on future planning and persistence.

Short-Term Orientation

Prioritize quick results and traditions.

Tight Cultures

Strict norms and low tolerance for deviance.

Loose Cultures

Flexible norms and high tolerance for different behaviors.

Emotions

Intense, short-term reactions to specific stimuli that prepare us to respond to that stimulus.

Moods

Short-term emotional states not directed at anything specific.

Trait Affectivity

A person’s stable tendency to experience certain moods/emotions.

Positive affectivity

A predisposition to experience positive emotions (e.g., enthusiasm, energy).

Negative affectivity

A predisposition to experience negative emotions (e.g., anger, anxiety).

Emotional contagion

The process where emotions and behaviors are transferred from one person to another.

Emotional labor

The regulation of feelings and expressions for organizational goals.

Surface acting

Faking emotions without changing how you feel.

Deep acting

Changing how you feel to align with the required emotion.

Genuine acting

Naturally feeling and expressing the required emotion.

Cognitive dissonance

The mental discomfort from inconsistencies between attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors.

Affective Events Theory (AET)

Explains how workplace events trigger emotional reactions, which influence work attitudes and behaviors.

Emotional intelligence (EI)

The ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions effectively.

Stress

The body’s physical, emotional, or mental reaction to a challenge or change that requires adjustment or response.

Distress

Harmful, overwhelming stress.

Eustress

Beneficial stress that promotes growth.

Hindrance stressors

Block personal growth and goal achievement (e.g., red tape).

Challenge stressors

Promote growth and learning despite being demanding (e.g., a new project).

Groups

A collection of individuals who interact with each other. Groups can be formal or informal.

Teams

A cohesive coalition of individuals working collaboratively to achieve mutual goals.

Formal Work Groups

Deliberately created by the organization; includes managers, subordinates, etc., working toward organizational goals.

Informal Groups

Arise naturally, based on personal relationships or shared interests outside formal structure.

Team Cohesion

The degree of camaraderie, trust, and commitment among group members.

Groupthink

A dysfunctional decision-making process where the desire for harmony overrides rational analysis.

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working in a group versus alone.

Collective Efficacy

A team’s shared belief in their ability to succeed.

Norms

Shared expectations about how the team operates.

Team Contract

A documented agreement on roles, rules, and responsibilities to prevent conflict and clarify expectations.

Conflict

A process that involves people disagreeing due to perceived threats to their interests, needs, or concerns.

Dysfunctional conflict

Also known as destructive conflict, it focuses on emotions and personal differences, leading to tension, stress, and reduced performance.

Constructive conflict

Known as adaptive conflict, it supports innovation and creativity and is task-focused, not personal.

Negotiation

A process where two or more parties work to reach an agreement through discussion and compromise.